Carla Rees

I studied flute (to MMus level) and composition (to BMus level) at the Royal College of Music in London under Graham Mayger, Simon Channing and Timothy Salter. After two years as a Junior Fellow there, I am currently the holder of the Centre for Music and Multimedia Doctoral Studentship, researching contemporary techniques for the alto and bass flute.

I have been teaching the flute privately for almost twenty years and have held positions in educational establishments such as Morley College, Wycombe Abbey School, Nottingham University and currently Royal Holloway, University of London. I have given masterclasses and workshops for flute players and composers at some of the world’s leading institutions, such as the Juilliard School of Music in New York, Cal Arts and UCLA in Los Angeles and at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

My main performance work is as Artistic Director of rarescale, an educational charity and professional contemporary music ensemble, which was founded in 2003 to promote the alto flute and its repertoire. My work with this ensemble enables me to work closely with composers to develop new works and I have given over 200 premiere performances to date. With rarescale I teach on the annual rarescale on Skye masterclass course for composers and flute players.

I perform regularly throughout the UK, Europe and the USA, with recent concerts including recitals at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the British Flute Society’s International Convention, Science Museum and Proms Composer Portraits in the UK, and appearances in festivals and recitals in the USA and Europe. I have recorded for rarescale records, EMI, Capstone, Metier and Cadenza, as well as for film and TV.

As a composer and arranger, my works have been performed throughout the UK. I was the winner of the RCM Woodwind Composition Prize in 1999 and was subsequently commissioned by the Royal College of Music Wind Ensemble. My association with the Open College of Arts came initially through being a student on the photography courses, and I have been a tutor on the music courses since February 2007.